


Fire, help me to forget

by moonflowery



Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon Rewrite, F/F, Immortal Wives, Immortality, Not Canon Compliant, Pre-Canon, i said no, they said quynh was locked in an underwater prison for 500 years
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-25
Updated: 2020-07-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:48:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25515271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonflowery/pseuds/moonflowery
Summary: They had taken her. They had separated them. After thousands of years, how did it happen? After killing thousands of men and surviving thousands of deaths.How the fuck did it happen?What happens when Andy and Quynh are accused of witchcraft and separated... but Andy gets a chance to fix it.
Relationships: Andy | Andromache the Scythian/Quynh | Noriko
Comments: 27
Kudos: 308





	Fire, help me to forget

Andy realized she had been right. Being burned alive was excruciating. There was, however, the possibility that what caused Andy the most pain she’d ever known wasn’t the flames licking up her body, but the thought of Quynh. They had taken her. They had separated them. After thousands of years, how did it happen? After killing thousands of men and surviving thousands of deaths. _How the fuck did it happen?_

If you are being burned alive, you are not supposed to bear the pain long enough to think about the fact that you are being burned alive. Still, Andy’s mind wouldn’t stop working, even against her most desperate wishes as she begged for her body to for once and for all let her _die_. She gritted her teeth and focused on every agonizing inch of her skin. She tightened her hands into fists and hoped with all her might that drowning was better than this. She closed her eyes firmly and wished the fire would last for as long as the ocean lasted for Quynh. 

There was a group of people gathered around her, watching her burn and burn and continue to burn. She could hear them talking to each other even over the roaring sounds of the flames eating up her body again and again. In normal circumstances, Andy would try to escape as quickly as possible and leave behind as few casualties as possible too. But this time was _different_ , so different. She made no move at all to escape. And she hoped, for the sake of these ignorant, foolish souls surrounding her, that they will leave before she escapes her blazing prison. Because she didn’t feel like being merciful this time. 

She deserved this, Andy told herself. It was the least she could go through after letting them take Quynh. It wasn’t fair, it should have been her, Andy repeated to herself each time she healed and woke up after passing out from the burning pain. It went on and on. Andy focused on soaking in the pain and the equally as violent thoughts, she passed out, and then came back again. It was an unrelenting loop of _It should have been me, I’ll kill them all, How will I find her, I deserve this, She needs me, I miss her, It should have been me, I wish we’d both died, It burns, Is she drowning, I deserve this, I love her, She loves me, Until the end, Is this the end?_

* * *

Andy could only keep count of how many times she died burning there for so long. Just as the fire had to die at some point. Before she did, most likely. And yet, Joe and Nicky arrived first. They were heroes, they never give up, they believed in achieving impossible things and usually just their presence was enough for Andy to believe as well. For all the love they gave each other and the bravery in which they faced every battle, Andy admired them, she was proud of them.

They came riding horses, with their swords in hand, and they dispersed the crowd around Andy as if it were nothing. While Nicky guarded his back, Joe jumped from his horse and worked on getting Andy out of the fire. The woman collapsed on the ground. Gone was the frail, little and dirty dress that didn’t stand a chance against the fire. Her burns healed too fast for the liking of her own scorched heart. She made no movement but that required of her lungs to breathe. And she hated the relief she got from laying on the ground for she knew her love wasn’t as lucky. Or so Andy thought.

“Andromache! Andromache wake up!” Joe shook her body and turned her on her back. Hurried and clumsily he managed to cover her still-healing body with his cape that he had taken off for her. “Andromache, the ship has not sailed.”

“ _What?!_ ” Andy exclaimed. This time she opened her eyes and had never, for as long as she could remember, felt as glad to be alive.

“Her ship is still here, we can get to her,” Joe stated. He sported a small, encouraging, and hopeful smile, and his eyes shone with more determination than entire armies could gather in hundreds of men.

“We should move,” Nicky called them from his horse, and threw over a sword for Andy. He was focused on the task at hand, protect Andy, protect Joe, save Quynh. Still, he couldn’t avoid meeting Andy's eyes and giving her a nod. They could do this. They _would_.

They were surrounded again. Nicky was doing a spectacular job at keeping their enemies at bay, but the other two easily jumped into the fight. It wasn’t difficult to get the upper hand in a fight when you have thousands of years more of experience than your opponents, and you have the fervent urgency to save the love of your life from a heinous fate. One by one the English soldiers started to fall. Andy jumped on Joe’s horse and Joe joined Nicky. The three of them with bloody swords and overflowing valor sped up toward the shore. 

They had to their advantage that everyone around was terrified because, to their knowledge, an undead witch was coming to take revenge on them. They realized all was well when the witches were chained and locked down. But Andromache the Scythian, stronger than ever even after being burned alive, riding on a horse and wielding a sword, well, none of them could compete. The smarter soldiers moved away before Andy could reach them.

* * *

When the sailors and soldiers on the ship watched the chaos from afar and were notified that one of the witches was coming their way, they got to work on leaving the dock in record time. They removed the plank and got moving, but that didn’t stop Andy, Nicky, and Joe from jumping. They were grasping whatever piece of the ship they had managed to hold on to as if their lives depended on it, or something more, something that couldn’t be replicated, _someone_ depended on it, on them. From the dock, people shoot arrows and watched in absolute horror as the unstoppable creatures dismissed the wounds and continued to climb over the hull of the ship. The difference between them was that three of them were fighting and not giving up just out of love, while the hundreds of people around them were relentless out of sheer anger and fear.

Impressively so, the men on the ship were still overly confident. That mistake would cost them their lives. The immortal warriors didn’t come to negotiate. They were taking their friend back, _whatever it takes_. The problem was, they did perhaps too good of a job at taking down the first wave of men that came at them. It was enough to terrify the rest of them beyond rational actions. The ship had started to move and many men started jumping off of it as they watched that woman and two men seamlessly take down the best soldiers they had, two at a time. The real problem, the actual tragedy was that they scared the captain of the ship, the priest that came on board with them, and enough sailors that would help them make the final push of the iron coffin over the board and to the ocean below.

In thousands and thousands of years, Andy was certain that no other sound had ever pained her as much as Quynh screaming her name as they locked her into the iron coffin. That was desperate fear like Andy had never seen. People think they are scared of dying but she and her family knew there were worse things. They had enough imagination to figure out what that prison would have meant. So, Andy fought like she had never fought before to make sure she got to Quynh on time. And she had heard it. As soon as she got on the ship and started killing men in any and all directions, among the deafening noises of the battle, she heard Quynh again. She heard her screaming her name. She sounded _hopeful_. Selfishly, Andy also felt better for herself, knowing she wouldn’t have to go on with her life carrying that one scream of her name as the last thing she ever heard from Quynh.

But then it happened. Fear drives people to act on irrational impulses, to take every last desperate measure to escape from danger. In the minds of those miserable men, the greatest threat was the two witches together. Even when facing death coming at them at full speed from every angle, their pride and their ignorance didn’t leave room for bargaining or giving up. The last thing they did was push Quynh over the board of the ship.

At least, Andy hoped that Joe and Nicky would make sure that was the _last_ thing those men did. She didn’t have the time to make sure of it herself. She echoed Quynh’s screams with one of her own and this time, without chains, without restraints, Andy ran after her. She ran and she jumped and she fell into the water.

* * *

Andy was still holding her sword and the fall hurt like _hell_ but there wasn’t time to dwell on pain anymore. Andy’s entire focus was the rapidly sinking iron prison. She swam with all the strength she was ever capable of and still, when she caught up with it she was met with a lock. Two soulmates met at the bottom of the ocean with a wall of iron and a lock keeping them apart. Their fists slammed against the barrier from both ends in a painful rhythm, a furious beat, a tragic symphony. And they died, they drowned together for a first time.

Coming back to life while still underwater was an indescribable feat. They awoke screaming with water already invading their lungs. But Andy fought back with nature and the unnatural and she did it all for Quynh. She used her sword and she slammed it against the lock. She managed it the best she could and still it wasn’t _enough_. They died once more, drowning together a second time. But giving up wasn’t an option. Andy was prepared to live an eternity under the sea until she could get heart love, her heart, her _everything_ out of her imprisonment. It was unjustly difficult and it was tempting to describe her goal as impossible and her efforts as futile, but Andy kept going, Quynh kept hoping, they kept drowning and coming back to life together.

When the lock broke down, it felt like a _miracle_ had been achieved. When Quynh managed to slip out of the cage and her hands touched Andy again, they could recognize the real miracle was in each other. Drowning one or five times in the process was nothing compared to the feeling of feeling invincible as they swam together toward the surface, as they met Nicky and Joe that had jumped in the water already searching for them. Finally, they got to the surface. Finally, Andy and Quynh could _breathe_ again. They could kiss again, they could swear out loud, again and again, that they wouldn’t be separated again, they wouldn’t have to be alone ever again, they would be together until the end.

* * *

Andy’s experience through the centuries had let her know that humanity’s perception of her immortality was uncertain. Some people had worshiped her as a God for her gift. Some people had made it their personal duty to make sure she died. In different ways, but they had all _failed_. The result was that Andy figured that it didn’t matter if her inability to die was a blessing or a curse, what mattered was to keep it a _secret_ , to do the best she could with it, and to protect her people, her _family_.

She had already lost one. _Lykon_. When his time to go arrived, there had been nothing she could do to fight it. It wasn’t such a bad thing, that he got to finally rest in peace. Still, the heartbreak for her had been enough to leave her absolutely certain that she would fight heaven and hell to protect Quynh, and then Nicky and Joe too when they found them. Maybe Andy couldn’t help them and keep them from dying. But about any other kind of suffering, there was nothing she wouldn’t do to save them from pain.

That day at the docks had been one of the scariest of Andy’s life. Even though they were all exhausted beyond measure, after they had escaped from the soldiers and priests and violent crowds, they continued to run. They put as much distance as humanly possible from that event in their lives and them. It was late at night when they finally sought refuge in a small and well-hidden cave. They had started a fire and scavenged the minimum of food to satisfy that need, then they collapsed down in exhaustion. Joe and Nicky laid down and curled up together and were lucky enough to fall asleep almost immediately. 

Andy and Quynh, on the other hand, and despite how tired they felt, couldn’t even conceive the idea of falling asleep. Andy could still so clearly recall the feeling of the flames kissing her skin. It had burned so badly, and now she felt so _cold_. Quynh still felt chills in her bones, the unforgiving cold of the sea rushing around inside her. They were sitting on the ground, with their backs resting against the wall of the cave. Andy had one arm wrapped around Quynh, who had her head resting on Andy’s shoulder and an arm draped over Andy’s stomach. They were safe and sound, but still restless and upset. They were trying to pass their touches as just gentle and not at all nervous as they were and yearning for the reassurance of the presence of the other one close to them.

“Have I said thank you?” Quynh said after a while, knowing full well Andy was as awake as she was.

“There is no need,” Andy whispered back to her, “I would do it again a thousand times. I… I can’t imagine… Quynh, _what if_ …”

“Andromache,” Quynh lifted her head to look at Andy, and found the woman couldn’t look her in the eyes. “Look at me,” she requested as she gently placed a hand in Andy’s cheek. When their eyes met each other, Quynh smiled, “It is fine, Andromache, we are _safe_.” She saw Andy open her mouth, ready to protest, but she interrupted her, “We can rest now, we deserve it.”

Her words worked like a charm and she was delighted to feel Andy’s body relax, some of the tension slip away from her shoulders. The cave was mostly quiet save for the crackling of the fire and their breathing. Andy hadn’t stopped feeling on high alert the entire day, but she was beginning to absorb the peace that the other woman radiated. “I feel safe with you,” Quynh whispered, as her fingers drew mindless shapes on Andy’s skin, traveling on her jaw and down her neck. The caresses dissolved Andy’s walls and fears in the most tender of ways. Her hand grazed Andy’s shoulder and finally, she settled her palm on Andy’s chest. The feeling of her heartbeat there, that was the most sacred of experiences Quynh could remember feeling. Her thumb brushed the necklace that she’d given Andy some centuries ago. “I want you to promise me something,” Quynh whispered.

“Yes?” Andy replied. It was at once a question and already an agreement.

“Promise you will never take it off,” as she said the words, Quynh’s hand toyed with the little necklace.

The moment felt so immensely precious that it drew a small gasp from Andy. She didn’t want to make that promise, because she knew what it meant. _Will you keep my necklace, this tiny piece of me, even if you lose me, even if we never see each other again, will you keep this part of me with you forever?_

“I promise,” Andy replied. As much as it pained her, she meant it. Her voice quivered and her eyes were glassy and even then they were the most beautiful pair of eyes Quynh had ever seen. There was nothing in this world she loved more than those blue eyes.

Quynh leaned up and placed a gentle kiss in Andy’s jaw. That act was her other side of the promise. Andy would fight anything and everything for her family, but she had to know they were there to fight for her too. Quynh specifically needed her to know, and she reminded her in every kiss and loving touch, that they’ll always have each other, that they were bound together in a way nobody could ever replicate or begin to understand.

A peaceful feeling enveloped them finally. This time, their bodies had forgotten the desperate pressure of the bottom of the ocean, and were now gently replaying the soft swaying of the waves. Still, there was something else pulling on Andy’s heart. Her hold on Quynh tightened. There was a pressure on her chest that felt like it could _crush_ her. And if she didn’t say the words aloud she would scream and she would cry. She needed Quynh to know that above all things, beyond their courage, their power, their promises, and the fights, she loved her. She wanted to tell Quynh that she loved her, simply. She loved her, completely. She loved her in a way that was theirs and theirs only, and she said it in the words that they had claimed over the centuries and meant everything and more to them.

“Quynh” Andy whispered, her voice tense with emotion. She waited until the woman in her arms turned to look at her in the eyes. “ _Just you and me?_ ” Andy asked, she was almost begging, she had desperately needed to say it, and to hear the answer.

“ _Until the end_ ,” Quynh replied, promised, swore that was their truth.

Just like that, the raging fire inside Andy settled down, the furious seas inside Quynh calmed down. They were free from the terrors of that day, they were together to move on and continue to fight the wrongs of the world and love each other in the right ways. Andy smiled, she smiled genuinely and she smiled mostly because she knew that Quynh would return the smile. There was nothing she loved more than Quynh’s smile.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading!
> 
> title is from which witch by florence and the machine. totally and andy/quynh song!
> 
> I've been obsessed with this movie, Andy, and especially Andy and Quynh since it came out. I needed to write this to make myself feel better over Quynh's excessively tragic story. I hope you liked it! 
> 
> Please leave a comment and let me know what you think?
> 
> you can find me on tumblr @afterlaughy and please come talk about the immortal wives with me, send me headcanons, requests, i will probably write more! plus, i have two more one-shots that should read :) thanks again for reading!


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